Limesco Academy

Limesco is a Dutch virtual mobile operator with a strong emphasis on freeing the mobile market, and bringing it more in line with the notions of freedom and openness as they are cherished in the Internet community. Although this is a good reason the cheer up most current mobile users, the small scale at which Limesco still operates means that most of its users are technically inclined, hacker-style users. They are permitted to experiment on the network within the bounds of law and reason. One thing that is still missing, is a platform where these technically oriented users can exchange their knowledge and ideas, a community of cooperative development. This is why we started Limesco Academy.

Limesco Academy is currently a plan that was greeted with enthousiasm by Limesco share holders and members; we are currently looking for speakers, discussion topics and demonstrations/experiments.

What is it?

The idea behind Limesco Academy is to bring members together to learn about GSM protocols, and exchange experiences about playing with them. We will come together for a day, in a sort of informal conference. The current day plan is:

• What do we know? Lectures in which we share knowledge about the GSM protocol stack (in the morning)
• What do we want? Discussions about questions cutting through the protocol layers (around lunch time)
• What can we do? Practical experiments and demonstrations (end of the afternoon)

Since the day is held in Enschede, we expect to welcome German visitors, so the day's default language will be English.

Limesco Academy #0: Understanding the GSM protocol stack

The proposed topics for the morning lectures follow; we are looking for speakers willing to study these topics and explain them to others:

• Management of voice: component MSC; protocols GSM and, with Limesco, SIP; AT commands
• Management of data: components SGSN, GGSN; protocols GPRS and UMTS; AT commands
• Management of messaging: components SMSC, MMSC; protocols SMS PDU; AT commands
• Logical Link Control: MAC/RLC/LLC, from radio to the support for SMS, GPRS, UMTS (Rick could do this, but he is also the organiser... who will then take over?)
• Mobility management: Components HLR, VLR; Transparant hand-over; International Internet Access?
• Data transport: protocols Robust Header Compression, IPv6, IPsec; relations with PPP, SNDCP and PDCP; AT commands

The order of the lectures will be bottom-up as far as possible. If a topic is sufficiently interesting to you to be willing to explain it to other Limesco members, then please let us know. We are not assuming that you will know everything about it, but would like to get a headstart in understanding these layers and their interactions. And if you happen to find an intruiging possibility that is not commonly practiced in mobile applications yet, you are welcome to share that too!

You are also welcome to pick multiple topics that you might address, so we have more freedom to decide what to ask you to explain to us.

What has happened in the past?

Limesco Academy #0 is yet to start. A bit more patience please ;-)

Who should attend?

Limesco Academy is accessible to all; if too many people want to visit we will select. Specifically invited are

• Limesco members and people with an interest in freedom of mobile telecommunication
• Tkkrlab members and other hacker spaces (including German ones, since we are so near the borders)
• Other speakers
• Other interested parties
• There is a dedicated press conference caring to (less technical) journalists

Explicitly banned are activities of improper conduct, invasions on network security/privacy and the stability of the GSM infrastructure.

Are there things I could do?

An event like this is modestly sized, but a bit of help is quite welcome.

• We are guests at Tkkrlab; please leave the place in a better state than you found it!
• Share your knowledge, even if you still have to study it; specifically, please consider filling in a lecturing slot
• Send us your questions, specifically for the luncheon time discussions
• Prepare an experiment or demonstration
• Maybe we should revived the (typewrite-made) magazine Hack-Tic?
• Maybe you would like to organise the next Limesco Academy in your home town, half a year from now?

When and where is it?

Sorry to say, Limesco Academy #0 has been cancelled. We challenged ourselves too hard, and turned out to be too small to fill the program. The organisation of a new attempt may work when we have grown a bit; anyone who cares to pick it up is welcome to do so.

Limesco Academy #0 WAS scheduled on Saturday, June 14th, 2014. The day's schedule WOULD HAVE BEEN roughly like this:

• 10.00 - 12.30 -- Lectures / Introductions
• 13.30 - 15.30 -- Discussions / Research questions
• 15.30 - 16.00 -- About Limesco / GSM Basics
• 16.00 - 17.00 -- Press conference / Announcements

Limesco Playground #0 WOULD BE run in another room on the same site. Its schedule WAS very simple:

• 14.00 - 17.00 -- Demonstrations / Experiments

In parallel, there WAS the informal stuff that we could call Limesco Social #0 looking like this:

• 09.30 - 10.00 -- Arrival of guests
• 12.30 - 13.30 -- Lunch / PGP key party
• 17.00 - 17.30 -- Tidying-up together, leave the place spit-spot
• 17.30 - 18.30 -- Diner; reconvene as a group to De Kater, which offers proper food at affordable prices including a horribly carnivorous daily menu.
• 18.30 - 24.00 -- Trains, beer, dance, talk, Parkour, whatever...

We WERE graceously welcome at Tkkrlab in Enschede. They are situated in the former Polaroid film development laboratory, a large industrial space with lots of spaces which seem to be capable of storing an awful lot of soldering stations.

The venue WAS located in an old factory building of Polaroid; free parking is available next to the buildings, so you don't need to fear that your circuit boards get soaked. The full address and a map can be found on Tkkrlab's contact page.

The location WAS a 13 minute walk from railway station Enschede.

When you signED up, you COULD also opt for a lunch for less than EUR 5; but you are of course welcome to bring your own lunch sandwiches, or if you find the time, to visit one of the nearby stores: EkoPlaza, Jumbo, Bakker Bart or the market place. These pretty much lie on one street in the shopping centre, nearest one first.